


Stories Must End

by binarose



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 06:55:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28756230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/binarose/pseuds/binarose
Summary: The cycle ends and starts again. As they were told once, long ago, friendships transcend lives.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	Stories Must End

**Author's Note:**

> ~I'm transferring (after editing/improving) old works over from FF.net, as I don't use the platform anymore (and all I seem to find over there is negativity). I was binarose on FF~

Acolytes atop flying bisons, desperately clutching at scrolls, set off around the globe as fast as the winds could take them. These scrolls held messages for world leaders, readied condolences for close friends and the news for the world: The Avatar is dying.

Toph, with her greying hair and limp in her walk, met her friends at the entrance of the air temple. It hung unspoken in the air that they would be saying goodbye to an old friend today.

The acolytes led them through the corridors, familiar to them all from their youth, to the bed chamber of the Avatar, where he lay under the covers with his eyes closed and a sheen of sweat across his brow. He did not look like he had much time left.

Zuko politely asked the Acolytes to leave, and the friends took up positions around the bed, Toph and Katara each taking a frail, cold hand.  
Katara ran her own frail finger over the arrow, remembering the first time she had seen them glow with the cosmic power that flowed through her old friend. Her movements caused him to stir.

"Katara.." he croaked, turning his head towards her.

She leaned into him, "I'm here Aang, we're all here. The Acolytes sent for us."

"My time is coming to its end. Roku is coming for me." Aang gave a small cough, before he continued, “When it happens, the Acolytes will know what to do. I-I’d like to be with Appa.”

Katara nodded slightly as she felt Zuko’s hand upon her shoulder and heard a crack in his voice as he spoke,  
“Do you have to leave us? You’re only 66 after all, maybe the spirits made a mistake,” Zuko was faltering in his words, “Maybe it’s just a fever, Katara could-“

Katara turned to her husband and saw tears forming in his eyes to match her own. He was desperately grasping at straws to keep his friend in this world.

Toph took Aang’s hand to her forehead and sobbed into it, which scared the gathered friends more than anything else going on. Her tough exterior was not easily broken down.

Aang looked wizened and older than time itself for the first time in the 54 years Katara and Sokka had known him, a shadow of the boy in the iceberg now. He spoke with the tone the Avatar was known for, the calm and fair voice that provided comfort to so many, not that any comfort could be found now; "100 years in the ice has caught up with me. The spirits have decided my time is done.” He tried to shift himself towards Katara, who leaned in even closer, “I have a question to ask of you, the most important question.” 

His sincere tone made Katara cry harder and she struggled to get her words out, “Anything, Aang. Anything you need.”

He gave a chuckle which turned into a cough, and he struggled to recover his composure, "Will you go penguin sledding with me?"

Katara gave a weak laugh, and wiped her eyes, placing his cold hand between her two, "Of course Aang, anytime." She struggled to find words and carry on, "Are you in any pain?"

He shook his head slightly.

“Make sure the next one is a better Earth bender.” Toph managed to speak through her sobs, but Aang could not find the energy to turn his head back towards her, instead squeezing her hand that was holding his, as the tears flowed freely from her blind eyes.

Sokka spoke next, "You've been my brother for 54 years. You'll be my brother from now until the end of time. May the spirits be with you." His warrior's mask slipped, and he crumpled to a kneeling position by the bed, crying.

Aang was clearly now struggling to get air into his lungs and continue to breathe.

"Would you like me t-to," Katara managed to stutter out.

The Avatar’s eyes pleaded with her, “Please Katara, I am ready.”

Katara placed her hands on his struggling chest that she had uncovered, and through her tears, eased her friend into the next life.

A blue light filled the room. 

_Avatar Aang was dead._

****

For three years they had searched. For three years they had waited. Now it appeared that they had found what they were looking for.

The White Lotus members at each pole had watched and observed, scrutinised every child under the age of 3, noted those who developed a knack for water bending almost unnaturally early, and reported on anything unusual.

One fateful day, a messenger brought a scroll to the Caldera for the aged and retired Fire Lord & Lady.

_They had found the Avatar._

They left the Fire Nation in the capable hands of their daughter and were on the first available ship within hours, and arrived three weeks later on the shores of the South Pole, where they were met by Sokka.

"There can’t be any doubt. Katara, she’s powerful, more so than Aang was at four times her age, she has basic skills in three elements already without training.” Her brother spoke fast as he led them across the tundra towards a large igloo on the outskirts of the port village.

 _She_. Katara worried about a female Avatar; the last female, Kyoshi, was hot headed. However, Yang Chen was diplomatic and kind. Katara hoped this young girl would take more air bending traits than earth bending ones. She could feel Toph chastising her for her thoughts but wished for nothing more than a calm Avatar much like her lost friend.

Sokka came to a stop, Zuko and Katara in step behind him, and knocked on the wooden door twice; "Come in" came a woman's voice from inside the home.

The three stepped inside, and were met by a young man and woman, obviously the parents of the Avatar. The couple bowed to the Fire Nation royals, who waved them away and instead bowed to them. Their eyes then searched the room for the small girl anxiously.

Senna, the mother, called out for her daughter, “Korra, sweetie, will you come out here please?”

Suddenly the house began to shake, then a wall to the left of the three crashed down, fire and rocks emerging from a sudden snowfall. As the fog and snow cleared, a small girl stood there, spinning a ball of water between her small hands.

Katara looked to the men either side of her; her husband and her brother were both slack jawed, and in shock. She simply smiled and stepped towards the small girl, holding out a hand;

"Hello Avatar Korra. It’s very nice to meet you."

The young girl's eyes stared at the water bending master and glossed over for a moment. A flash of blue shot across her face and lit up Korra’s eyes. Katara took a step backwards, knowing from experience what could happen. 

As quickly as it started, the moment passed, the blue glow dissipated and Korra shook her head with a smile up at the older woman; "Will you go penguin sledding with me?" she asked.


End file.
